In surgical procedures requiring exposure and visibility of areas of the facial skeleton such as the jaw area, it is necessary that the soft tissue and muscle in the working area be retracted to avoid any possible damage or severance thereof. Access may then be had in the working area without obstruction. Visibility and stability in the operational procedure is enhanced when a stable point such as a bone process is utilized as a fulcrum for retraction.
Prior retraction devices have been developed such as the retractor commonly known as the Thompson Ramus Retractor which has been valuable in arthroplasties, condylar fractures, and prognathic and retrognathic corrections. This device includes a single blade of metal bent upon itself to form a handle portion and a retractor portion having a curved lip at the end thereof for fitting over a bone process to provide a fulcrum for retraction as best illustrated in the enclosed pages from the catalogue of Walter Lorenz Surgical Instruments, 144 West 27th Street, New York, N.Y. The blade of the retractor is used as a straight edge for making incisions and for retracting the tissue and muscle in the working area. However, the retracting surface is limited to the width of the blade which limits the amount of tissue and muscle retracted and hence the area of exposure.